Directory:Bourne Energy
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Bourne Energy has a number of floating turbine technologies for use in cost-effectively harvesting water flow in rivers, tides and ocean currents. One of the applications they are also pursuing is water purification and desalination to go along with their systems.
The units are expected to be available by around Q2 2009, with an energy generation cost of around 3-4 cents/kilowatt-hour -- approximately the same as coal and natural gas power.
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About
Official Website
Products
"If we meet our current timeline we will have a number of small RS50 and RSMP power arrays operating in about 12 months. We plan to bring the RSWM in after that." (May 20, 2008) Chris Catlin, CEO
Bourne’s river, tidal and ocean Kinetic Energy Systems (KES) have numerous environmental advantages over conventional hydropower dams, Run-of-River and other hydropower systems.
RiverStar
Each RiverStar is connected at a depth of ten feet to the next RiverStar module by a high strength steel cable. Both ends of the cable are anchored into the shoreline at the same depth. The mooring cable includes the power transmission and control lines. RiverStar’s turbine is stabilized by the combination of the cable, the strut connected to a streamlined float and a rudder that maintains a precise attitude to the river current. The turbine drives a proprietary generator module.
Each RiverStar’s generating capacity of up to 50 kilowatts in a 4 knot current (varies with current speed).
The RiverStar arrays can be stacked one after the other down a section of river. An average array is composed of 20 RiverStar-50 units producing approximately 1 MW, enough to power 1,000 average American homes.
Each RiverStarWM-50 provides potable water through the application of reverse osmosis technology and is a self-contained "Water Company in a Box." Place several in a river current and they produce fresh water purely from harnessing the energy of moving water in the river.
TidalStar
Each TidalStar (Patent Pending) tidal power system uses a proprietary turbine design to produce approximately 50 kW at peak capacity. TidalStar has many advantages over current tidal power systems. It does not require tidal barrages, embankments, caissons or sluices. Environmentally neutral, TidalStar does not increase sediment, accumulate pollution nor affect the salinity of the water.
OceanStar
The OceanStar (Patent Pending) wave power system represents a new approach to the complex problem of extracting energy from the world's oceans. Current ocean power systems are dominated by the use of floating devices that capture wave motion and convert it into electric energy through complex mechanical and hydraulic means. OceanStar captures the underlying pressure wave, amplified ocean wave to accelerate and collapse through a series of small turbine generators. This is an elegant and rugged solution to harnessing the power of waves which is energy and cost efficient. The OceanStar relies upon a proprietary, energy efficient process to smooth out the pulse characteristics common to wave energy in order to be electrical grid friendly. The OceanStar’s high level of scalability is essential to reach the large surface areas required to reach utility scale ocean power generation.
- “Potential Impacts of Hydrokinetic and Wave Energy Conversion Technologies on Aquatic Environments” (http://hydropower.id.doe.gov/hydrokinetic_wave/pdfs/cada_fisheries_reprint.pdf)
Costs
The estimated price for the larger RiverStar-50 is $100,000. The operating costs for this unit is estimated to be 3-4 cents/kWh.
Advantages
Bourne’s Energy Systems do not require in-river foundations, thus its installation has no effect on the seabed. The Kinetic Energy Systems incorporates the transmission and controls cable into the mooring system thus eliminating the need for burial of the cable and its effect on the seabed. It eliminates the risk at some sites, in particular industrial zones, of the disruption of bottom sediments that may result in dispersal of contaminated sediment (Mercury, Lead, PCBs) into the water.
Mechanical and flow-related injuries to fish are typically associated with conventional hydropower facilities. Because of the fundamental differences in every aspect of a Bourne project design, the potential for many of the effects is far less for the Kinetic Energy System than for conventional hydro projects. For instance, Bourne’s power systems actually repels fish. Flow directly in front of an open"windmill" - type KES turbine is slowed by the backwater effect of the blades on the current. A slight pressure wave forms in front of the turbine, which will likely direct fish outward and away from the turbine disk. Fish and other marine life are likely to be exposed to less danger because they can move to avoid the turbine.
Rotor and blade tip speeds of Bourne’s turbines are much slower than conventional hydropower turbines reducing both the probability of contact, and the probability of injury or mortality. Changes in water pressure across a Bourne turbine are typically orders of magnitude less than those that occur in many conventional hydropower turbines, greatly reducing the potential for fish injuries.
Every Bourne power system offers a modern, competitive energy solution that incorporates the continual development of Bourne’s advanced technologies including hydrodynamics, advanced materials, power and generator technologies. These include:
- Tri-Phase Blade - advanced turbine blade design
- Power Cartridge - micro generator system
- Virtual Stabilizer – highly adaptable float design
- SCM Mooring – advanced mooring system
- Active-Controls - smart control system
- Smart Grid - power transmission system
Applications
- River Power
- Tidal Power
- Ocean Power
In addition to the basic RiverStar-50 power producing module, other versions of RiverStar have been developed to serve these markets;
- RiverStarWM-50 provides potable water through the application of reverse osmosis technology.The RiverStarWM watermaker is s straight forward design - a hybrid - combining our river power system with a modular RO system into a self-contained unit.
- RiverStarCA-50 provides a compressed air network for factory and farm tools and machines.
- RiverStarMP-5/10 is a man-portable self-contained power unit used in small streams.
- RiverStarDW-50 is a self-contained unit designed to provide water and power to remote villages.
- RiverStarSE-50 is designed to provide secure power for military bases and remote industrial sites.
- RiverStarWT-50 is designed to provide supplemental and backup power and compressed air for water treatment plants.
- RiverStarEN-50 is designed to restore water quality in polluted rivers using an oxygenation process.
- RiverStarCS-50 is a river powered cooling system designed to reduce operating costs for data centers, factories and office buildings.
- RiverStarAC-50 allows the power arrays to be placed in slower flowing rivers.
- RiverStarRE-50 is placed in the outfall river area of an established hydropower dam to capture and regenerate waste energy.
- RiverStarLG is large scale version (100-300 ft. length) designed to harness energy from large, deep water tidal and river current sites.
Independent Testing
None of the RiverStar series are commercial yet. (May 20, 2008)
The smallest version of this technology, the RiverStar ManPortable has been prototyped.
Patents
Bourne’s RiverStar (Patent Pending) Kinetic Energy System is a self-contained energy module composed of a stabilizer, energy absorber, energy transmission and mooring system and energy conversion and control system.
Each TidalStar (Patent Pending) tidal power system uses a proprietary turbine design to produce approximately 50 kW at peak capacity.
The OceanStar (Patent Pending) wave power system represents a new approach to the complex problem of extracting energy from the world's oceans.
Profiles
Company: Bourne Energy
Bourne Energy is a privately held company dedicated to the worldwide commercialization of renewable energy.
Bourne's mission is to help create a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable world. It’s solution is to re-energize the world with a fast track, renewable energy with no oil spills, oil shortages, smog, global warming, nukes and energy blackouts; and still retain high energy comforts while extending them to the billions of people in the world currently without power.
Chris Catlin CEO
Inventor: (info pending)
Coverage
In the News
- Water Company in a Box -- Bourne Energy Develops Sustainable Water Making System (http://www.euroinvestor.co.uk/news/shownewsstory.aspx?storyid=9843935&BW=20080520005141) - Bourne’s new water making system will play a key role in our water future as small to medium scale decentralized water systems gradually replace or supplement conventional large systems. (EuroInvestor; May 20, 2008)
- Bourne Energy's RiverStarMP (http://www.gizmag.com/bourne-energys-riverstar-current-electricity-generators-the-new-face-o/8922/) - Bourne Energy (http://bourneenergy.com/) A fresh approach to hydropower. The RiverStarMP system power modules collect kinetic energy from rivers, passing the water through low RPM turbines that don’t harm aquaculture. (GizMag; March 5, 2008)
Other Coverage
list here
Comments
See Discussion page
Contact
Bourne Energy
Box 2761
Malibu, CA 90256
Phone: 310-456-8112
Fax: 310-456-1928
Point of Contact: C. S Catlin
E-Mail: contact@bourneenergy.com (mailto:contact@bourneenergy.com?subject=Bourne_Energy_at_PESWiki.com)
Related Technologies
- Hydro > River > Energy Barge Hawks Hydrogen and Distilled Water - Slow Moving Water, Inc presents a floating barge with turbines around the perimeter to harness the energy of the water flowing by. Rather than try to enter the electricity utility business, they produce electricity by-products, such as hydrogen and distilled water. (PESWiki; May 16, 2008)
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